NRL News · Team file

North Queensland Cowboys

News, contracts and player movement. A clear view of the squad taking shape for 2027.

Checked 29 October 20262027 squad

Latest verified updates

Contract values & cap context

Annual rates and deal averages for the 2027 squad, with dated historical or future figures where the current price is unavailable. All figures are AUD; click each amount for its source.

A$12.10m2027 maximum Top 30 cap benchmark
A$4.85mReported annualised subtotal
40.1%Subtotal as a share of the cap
6 / 21Listed players included in subtotal

A$7.25m (59.9%) is not accounted for by these figures. This includes undisclosed contracts and is not available cap space.

7 players have a sourced price indication; 14 listed players have no verified amount. 1 historical, future, imprecise or non-comparable figures are displayed but excluded from the subtotal.

This subtotal is an indicative sum of public reports, not the full squad wage bill or an audited cap charge. The percentage compares this partial subtotal with the cap benchmark; it does not measure actual cap usage. Unpriced players remain unknown.

Maximum benchmark: A$11.70m base plus up to A$0.30m veteran/developed-player and A$0.10m vehicle allowances. Allowance eligibility and cap adjustments can vary.

Cap benchmark, calculation method & limitations · Checked 30 October 2026.

2027 Top 30 tracker

21 names identified · Provisional published squad

This list is not a final registered Top 30. Unconfirmed places are left open; a missing name does not establish a vacant contract slot. Development and train-and-trial players are not counted as senior places.

Linked amounts below are reported estimates, not confirmed NRL salary-cap charges.

Zero Tackle · Roster confidence: moderate.

Roster notes and source limitations

Kai O'Donnell and Viliami Vailea excluded despite appearing in LeagueUnlimited's 2027 list: the club explicitly confirms their departure on 15 Sep 2026. No unannounced signings or development players inserted to reach 30. The NRL tracker lists Jake Elliott as a 2027 gain, but an official Cowboys contract announcement was not found during this check; add only after confirmation.

Signings & movement

Selected changes for 2027. Club announcements are confirmed; independent tracker entries are labelled as published movements.

Independent project by Andrew Allen. Not affiliated with the NRL or its clubs. Original summaries link to their publishers; no article photography is reproduced without a stated reuse licence. Checked 29 October 2026 (Brisbane). This is a dated snapshot, not a live feed.